Path of Exile 2 no longer an expansion, now standalone sequel
Path of Exile 2 will no longer be an expansion for the original game, having grown to be a full, stand-alone sequel.
During the opening keynote of Exilecon, Path of Exile 2’s game developers shared more information about the game, including details about the closed beta and a gameplay trailer.
Path of Exile 2 will now be a standalone release
Jonathan Rogers, a game director for Path of Exile 2, said: “Mark [Roberts] and I, and over 100 other developers have been hard at work on Path of Exile 2. Honestly, the project has become much bigger than we expected when we announced it in 2019.”
When initially announced in 2019, Path of Exile 2 was intended to act as an expansion for Path of Exile which would be playable in the same client with a shared endgame. Due to the amount the game has grown since the first reveal, it will now be a standalone title and sequel set 20 years in the future.
He said: “Path of Exile 2's scope has continued to grow and grow. It's far more than just an expansion with a new campaign. It has entirely new monsters, skills, mechanics, classes: everything you would expect from the next generation of action RPGs. Not to mention revamps of most of the Path of Exile 1 league content. This thing is just freaking huge.
“There was a point where we realised that our plan to replace Path of Exile 1 with Path of Exile 2 would essentially be getting rid of a game that people love for no real reason. So we made the decision that Path of Exile 1 and Path of Exile 2 would be separate with their own mechanics, balance, endgames and leagues.”
Rogers continued to confirm that both games would be on a shared platform. This means that microtransaction purchases will be able to be used in both games unless hyper-specific to the content of one game.
“You can't be a bear in Path of Exile 1, so a reskin of your bear form isn't going to work. But you absolutely can equip the awesome armour set you got and use all your stash tabs," he added.
New information about Path of Exile 2 was revealed at Exilecon 2023
During Exilecon 2023, Rogers confirmed the closed beta would begin on 7 June 2024, almost a year after the keynote announcement.
While there is still a long way to go before players will be able to get hands on with the game, a new official trailer and gameplay demo has given more information about what can be expected when it launches.
During the talk it was revealed that there will be six new character classes, over 100 bosses to fight, a new resource called 'Spirit', new ascendancies, and a six act campaign which takes place 20 years after the original game.
Rogers said: "Path of Exile 2 has been a long time coming, and we're incredibly excited to near the finish line, but we are not quite there yet. We are determined not to rush this, and make sure we get it right.”
